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KOMO-TV is ‘required’ to air biased news that leans to the right by its owner

It surprised me last week to hear Sharyl Attkisson, host of the weekly news program “Full Measure” on KOMO-TV, announce that she was going was to do a program on how terrible government regulations are.

Photo: Cutlass Supreme

Sure enough, Sunday evening, her program comes on. Attkisson says government regulations are the biggest problem in America, interviews a woman who sells food from a trailer about how oppressive regulations are, then interviews a woman from the Heritage Foundation about regulations.

What? This isn’t unbiased journalism. It isn’t giving both sides of the story.

“Full Measure” is broadcast to 43 million households in 79 markets on 162 Sinclair Broadcast Group stations, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, MyTV, Univision, and Telemundo affiliates. It also streams live Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Attkisson, who worked for CBS news for two decades, resigned in 2014. Attkisson had become a polarizing figure at the network, because some saw evidence of a political agenda, particularly against President Barack Obama, according to the Politico article “Sharyl Attkisson Resigns From CBS News.”

KOMO-TV is an ABC affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Information on the KOMO-TV website described the company as follows:

Sinclair is one of the largest TV broadcasting companies in the nation. Sinclair owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets, after pending transactions. Sinclair’s television group reaches about 38.7 percent of U.S. TV households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision, and Azteca affiliates.

If, as expected, Sinclair’s merger with Tribune Media is approved, it will be the largest broadcaster in the nation with 200 stations.

Sinclair’s “must-run” programs are sent every day to TV stations the company owns throughout the nation. The stations are told to run them in the next 24 or 48 hours.

Sinclair acquired KOMO-TV in 2013, making it the largest station in its portfolio, according to the article.

Attkisson’s program was particularly egregious. With her right-leaning coverage on regulations, she’s encouraging adults, and children, to hate their government. We are the government. Everyone needs to be involved to help government work as well as possible.

I won’t be watching any more news programs on KOMO-TV. America has enough right-wing news with Fox News and various “shock jocks” spewing forth slanted information to fit their political agenda and manipulate the public into believing right-wing propaganda.

I don’t think many people know specifically what Sinclair is. We now need to filter network news in addition to boycotting Fox News and the right’s shock jocks.

I called KOMO-TV and asked for a statement about the right-leaning program that Sharyl Attkisson offered Sunday. I didn’t receive a reply by my 5 p.m. deadline.

Update: I received the following email on Tuesday from Sharyl Attkisson on the above article:

A viewer on the west coast forwarded to me a blog you wrote somewhere attacking my program full measure (and me) as “right wing.” It’s hard to know where to begin with somebody who gets their information from one-sided talking point sources and doesn’t seek facts.

For example, if you think doing a story on the cost [o]f regulations is somehow inherently right wing rather than simply addressing an interesting topic on the minds of many Americans, then it could be that you are the one with the bias.

If you think interviewing someone from heritage foundation makes me or a story “conservative” then I suppose my many stories interviewing only democrats or interviewing people from progressive groups like public citizen makes me liberal but—wait a minute! That doesn’t fit your knee jerk theory.

The last Emmy award I received before I quit CBS was for a series that included an undercover investigation of republican freshman fundraising. In your world that would be “one-sided” and make me a liberal. But wait a minute—that doesn’t fit your theory!

I received an Emmy for investigating the bait and switch of TARP under President Bush. I got used to being called a liberal. But wait! That doesn’t fit your theory!

The truth is I always cover and will continue to cover interesting topics from various views. I especially like to cover topics that powerful interests don’t want covered.

For someone like you, this may make you upset from time to time. You will likely find the kind of agenda-drive news you’re looking for on most other national programs; I’m proud to say you won’t find it on mine.

Can you please provide me contact information for the editors where your blog appeared so that I may respond accordingly?

Thank you,

Sharyl Attkisson

Please forgive any weirdness, I’m using voice to text.

Update 2: Attkisson continues her right-leaning coverage

On April 1, Sharyl Attkisson did a segment on the so called Snowflake Syndrome. That’s where students, usually students of color, feel unsafe due to “microaggressions” such as constant slights and insults, and they want safe spaces on campus where they can avoid them. Attkisson again offered slanted reporting, interviewing only those who think that think people should be able to say anything they want on campus, including hate speech, because it’s protected by the First Amendment of the constitution.

Attkisson then had two anti-government segments: one on how much money the Social Security Administration is paying to dead people and what a poor job the government is doing providing information under the Freedom of Information Act.

It’s incredible that Attkisson continues to rail against the government and provide one-sided reporting.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.